Continuous longitudinal flow root crop harvesting

ABSTRACT

A harvester for root crops such as beets is provided which preferably provides continuous flow of root crops from a header, along a transfer assembly, through a processing run, and to an elevator assembly. The harvester can be configured to include or accommodate interchangeable header assemblies having different numbers of rows and/or row spacings. The transfer assembly can be of a floating type and helps to provide an even distribution of beets to the grabrollers. The processing run includes full-length cleaning grabrollers disposed parallel to the direction of travel. Modular elevator assemblies can be provided to further enhance harvester versatility. Such an approach includes interchangeable ferris wheel and scrubber chain elevator assemblies. An improved scrubber chain elevator assembly can be used which has a wraparound scrubber chain design. A pivoting tank conveyor for evenly filling a holding tank can be included. Large diameter carrier wheels on a single axle positioned for improved balance, flotation, and maneuverability typically are important basic characteristics of the harvesters.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.11/001,759, filed Dec. 2, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,165,628, which claimspriority from and the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/551,512, filed Mar. 9, 2004, both hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to harvesters for and harvesting ofcrops that must be removed from the ground, more particularly, rootcrops such as beets.

2. Description of Related Art

Beet harvesters must be especially rugged and bulky in order to unearthsugarbeets and other root crops, with its attendant engagement withrocks and other obstacles along a typical beet harvesting path. Priorart beet harvester patents include U.S. Pats. No. 2,944,611 (Rollins),No. 3,010,522 (Oppel), No. 3,181,616 (Oppel), No. 4,116,279 (Kilburn),No. 4,137,973 (Schwitters), No. 4,184,550 (Ammermann), No. 4,226,566(Maust), No. 4,382,471 (Peterson) and No. 4,633,956 (Glifberg). Priorart publications include those disclosing sugarbeet harvesters ofArt's-Way Manufacturing Co., Inc., including “A Total SugarbeetHarvesting System” brochure showing models of the 690 Series, the 692Series and the 9420 Series, as well as a brochure entitled “698 SeriesRear Wheel Harvester.” These patents and publications are specificallyincorporated by reference hereinto.

Heretofore, these types of harvesters typically have been constructedwith a view toward meeting a specific harvesting need and under specificharvesting conditions. Crops, including beets, must be harvested withthe same row spacing as they are planted. Typically, they also must beharvested with a harvester having a number of rows which is a multipleof the number of rows of the planter that had been used. Heretofore,these needs usually had been addressed by having to choose betweenhaving multiple harvesters available for use or using a harvester underconditions for which it might not have been strictly designed. Root cropharvesters also have been limited by size constraints and root cropprocessing difficulties from achieving improved root crop cleaning alongthe root crop flow path of the harvester.

Illustrated in FIG. 6 a is a problem which the present invention hasrecognized and addressed. This problem, typically associated with priorart beet harvesters, is that they require the beets to change directionlaterally along the cleaning flow path. Such harvesters have an assembly20 that directs beets downstream to a bed of cleaning rollers 22, butthen the beets must “turn the corner” and follow along the length of thetransversally-disposed rollers 22. In connection with the invention, ithas been determined that having the beets turn the corner hinders thecleaning function of the harvester, for example because mud and beetstend to accumulate along the area that the flow direction changes. Thisin turn makes it more difficult for the rollers to rotate and clean thebeets. Also, with harvesters of the type shown in FIG. 6 a, typicallyall beets do not engage the cleaning rollers 22 for the potentialmaximum length of travel, but for only a portion thereof.

Beet harvesters also are known to transfer harvested beets into positionfor collection using elevator type mechanisms. In essence, two basicstructures are used. One is a so-called ferris wheel unit, and anotheris a scrubber chain unit. Traditionally, a beet harvester is configuredwith either a ferris wheel unit or a scrubber chain unit, and the usermay not have the best unit for each harvesting situation. For example,it is generally understood that scrubber chain units are more aggressivethan ferris wheel units and can be preferred over ferris wheel units insome situations. Some consider ferris wheel elevator units to operate ina more acceptable manner than a scrubber chain elevator for overallgeneral harvesting situations. Flexibility in this regard could bebeneficial by allowing the user to select the elevator type depending onfield and weather conditions.

While a modular beet harvester was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,916(Haverdink, et al.), the design disclosed therein is plagued by a numberof problems. For one, the proposed harvester has poor lateral balancebecause the elevator assembly is offset from the centerline. Also, theproposed harvester still requires the beets to turn the corner to travelfrom the cleaning rollers to the elevator assembly.

Accordingly, a general aspect and object of the present invention is toprovide improved root crop harvesters suitable for harvesting beets andother in-ground crops.

Another aspect or object of the invention is to provide beet harvestershaving modular design components.

Another aspect or object of the invention is to provide beet harvesterscapable of simultaneously harvesting twelve rows of root crops.

Another aspect or object of the invention is to provide beet harvestershaving continuous rearward flow from the transfer assembly to and intothe elevator assembly.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving a narrow-frame design and/or good maneuverability during use.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide a method ofharvesting beets which more effectively cleans the beets by employingtwo cleaning roller beds that are oriented perpendicular to one another.

Another aspect or object of the invention is to provide beet harvestershaving features such as an automatic adjustable rowfinder, heavy dutystruts, and rugged paddle shaft assemblies.

Another aspect or object of the invention is to provide improved beetharvesters having multiple rollers that are freely adjustable andcushioned.

Another aspect or object of the invention is to provide improved beetharvesters having a header roller bed which assists in beet cleaning.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving one or more points that utilize a controlled fall to clean thebeets.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving an easily-removable transfer assembly.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving a transfer assembly that achieves some beet cleaning between aheader and a grabroller assembly, which can include a manually-operatedwinch to quickly and easily remove the transfer assembly for cleaningand maintenance.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvesterswith transverse rollers that combine with a transfer assembly to evenlydistribute the beets onto a bed of grabrollers.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving a cleaning bed with grabrollers oriented parallel to the rows andpreferably including a single-point adjustment on front and back.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvesterswhich are more laterally balanced by having a rear-loading elevator,rather than a side-loading elevator.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvesterswhich can be fitted with either a ferris wheel elevator module or ascrubber chain elevator module.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving an improved wraparound scrubber chain elevator assembly.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving a pivoting tank conveyor which minimizes the beets' fall into theholding tank, thereby reducing damage to the beets.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving a hydraulically controlled offloading conveyor which preferablyhas the capability of folding out of the way, behind the header fortransport.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving tires and axles which permit the use of only two carrier wheelson the harvester, thereby enhancing maneuverability and lesseningundesirable soil compaction.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestersthat can operate in muddier conditions than prior art harvesters due toimproved cleaning capabilities.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvestershaving a self-contained hydraulic subsystem which delivers power to theelevator motor and other components.

Another aspect or object of this invention is to provide beet harvesterswith gage wheels to prevent the lifting assembly from digging into thesoil on one side or the other in uneven ground.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention,including the various features used in various combinations, will beunderstood from the following description according to preferredembodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with thedrawings in which certain specific features are shown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, beet harvesters provideflexibility in meeting harvesting needs and improved cleaningcapabilities. Preferably, modular components allow interchangeability ofthe header assembly depending upon row configurations and can alsoprovide interchangeability, if desired, of the elevators as between aferris wheel assembly and a scrubber chain assembly. Additionally, in apreferred embodiment, the grabrollers are longitudinally-disposed so asto improve cleaning by providing continuous rearward flow of the beetsfrom a transfer assembly to a rear-loading elevator assembly.

In an embodiment of the invention, the harvester includes a pivotingtank conveyor which allows for evenly filling a holding tank. Theinvention also can have a transfer assembly which can be easily removedwith a hand-actuated winch for cleaning and maintenance. The presentinvention also preferably includes large diameter ground-engaging wheelsand a component layout which is selected to provide improved balance andmaneuverability when compared with more traditional carrier wheels andcomponent arrangements.

In a further embodiment of a scrubber chain unit, when included, samepreferably employs an improved wraparound design to reduce the amount ofground clearance needed underneath the elevator. Such modules areremovable and interchangeable for customer needs or as dictated bydifferent weather and soil conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beet harvester according to theinvention, shown with a ferris wheel elevator assembly;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the beet harvester illustrated inFIG. 1, with some components broken away for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a harvester with a twelve-rowheader assembly configuration and a ferris wheel elevator assembly;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of a harvester with a scrubber chainelevator assembly;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the beet harvester shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 a is a schematic top plan view of the flow of beets through aprior art harvester;

FIG. 6 b is a schematic top plan view of the flow of beets through theharvester shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side elevational view of the flow of beets throughthe harvester shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 a is a side elevational view illustrating a separated headerassembly, transfer assembly and processing assembly;

FIGS. 8 b and 8 c are perspective views of the front and rear mountingplates, respectively, for the header assembly to the processingassembly;

FIG. 9 is a detail side elevational view of an embodiment of the headerassembly;

FIG. 10 is a detail view of certain portions of the header, showing thelifting assembly and paddle assembly and header roller assembly;

FIG. 11 is a detail perspective view of the header roller assembly;

FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view of the header assembly;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the header, showing an open right header door;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the header, showing an open left header door;

FIG. 15 is a side view of an embodiment of the transfer assembly;

FIG. 16 is a detail view of an area of the harvester above the transferassembly location, showing a winch for facilitating transfer assemblyattachment;

FIG. 17 a and FIG. 17 b are detail, perspective views of a rear portionof the grabroller assembly;

FIG. 18 is a detail view of an embodiment of the grabroller drivesystem;

FIG. 19 is a detail view of an embodiment of the driven spiralgrabroller drive system;

FIG. 20 is a rear elevational view of a harvester according to thisinvention with a ferris wheel elevator assembly;

FIG. 21 a is a schematic drawing of a prior art scrubber chain elevatorassembly;

FIG. 21 b is a schematic drawing of a preferred embodiment of thescrubber chain elevator assembly of according to this invention;

FIG. 22 is a rear elevational view of an embodiment of a harvesteraccording to this invention with a scrubber chain elevator assembly;

FIG. 23 is a schematic detail view of a preferred embodiment of thepivoting tank conveyor;

FIG. 24 is a schematic drawing of a mechanical system suitable for thebeet harvester according to this invention;

FIG. 25 a is a schematic drawing of a preferred tank/harvester hydraulicsubsystem of a hydraulic system suitable for a harvester according tothis invention; and

FIG. 25 b is a schematic drawing of a preferred self-contained hydraulicsubsystem of a hydraulic system suitable for a harvester according tothis invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to beinterpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present invention and virtually any appropriate manner.

Equipment and methods of the types described herein are for harvestingcrops that grow within the ground, at times referred to as root crops.From time to time herein, these are referred to by terms such as“beets,” “sugarbeets,” and “root crops.” These terms are usedsubstantially interchangeably, insofar as the invention has generallyequal applicability to any such crops.

The preferred embodiment that is illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a headerassembly, generally designated at 31, a processing assembly, generallydesignated at 32, an elevator assembly, generally designated at 33, atank conveyor 46, a holding tank 34, and an offloading conveyor,generally designated at 35. Carrier wheels 36 also are provided. Atongue assembly, generally designated at 37, is positioned between twofront portions or extensions 60 of the main frame that projecthorizontally from the front of the processing assembly 32.

In connection with the preferred modular header embodiment, mountingmembers are provided. As shown in FIG. 8 a, FIG. 8 b and FIG. 8 c, theextensions 60 each have two forward connection points 62 and tworearward connection points 64, respectively, at which the processingassembly 32 is bolted to the front and rear of the header assembly 31 ata forward transverse beam 56 and at a rearward transverse beam 58,respectively. These can be considered to collectively form a frameassembly. FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 show an elevator assemblywhich takes the form of a ferris wheel unit 38. FIG. 4 shows theelevator assembly taking the form of a scrubber chain unit 39.

FIG. 6 b and FIG. 7 summarize the general path that the beets followfrom the front of the harvester to the rear and illustrate thecontinuous longitudinal flow characteristic. The beets 24 are unearthedby a lifting assembly 26 of the header assembly 31, comprising lifterwheels 44 in a preferred embodiment, and then contacted by rotatingpaddles 45. A header roller assembly 41 passes the beets rearwardly andfunnels them into a relatively narrow transfer assembly 28. The transferassembly 28 moves the beets back and preferably upwards, then drops themonto a grabroller assembly 43. The beets travel the length of thegrabrollers, which drop the beets into the elevator assembly 33 at therear of the harvester. The elevator assembly 33 lifts the beets anddrops them onto a tank conveyor 46, which finally drops the beets into aholding tank 34. Guardrails are positioned at appropriate locations,such as along the conveyors, in order to prevent the beets from fallingoff of the harvester.

Optional features of the header include fixed or flex struts, a choiceof a smooth or star front roller, and lifter wheel close-ups. Alsoavailable are different pitches of links for belted draper chain andsprockets, a choice of steerable or fixed carrier wheels, and a drawbarsupport. The flex struts are useful for rocky conditions, because theyallow the lifter wheels to avoid subterranean rocks by flexing upwardand rolling over them. The lifter wheels may be cushioned to separatewhen a rock is pinched between them. The star-type front roller also isuseful for rocky conditions because it keeps rocks from getting stuck,while allowing soil to flow through. These benefits and the benefits ofthe other optional features are already well-known to those skilled inthe art.

Easy adjustment features preferably are incorporated into the design ofthe present harvester. For example, the tank conveyor 46 can pivot andthe height of its discharge end can be varied in order to minimize theheight through which the beets fall into the holding tank 34. In anotherarea of the harvester, a winch 100 (FIG. 16) with a hand crank 101 isprovided to allow easy removal and cleaning or maintenance of thetransfer assembly 28.

Modular features preferably are incorporated into the harvesters. Mostimportantly, a modular header feature allows the processing assembly toaccommodate interchangeable header assemblies which are specialized fordifferent row configurations. In an embodiment which is illustrated inFIG. 3, the modular header assembly 31 is a unitary header configured tosimultaneously harvest twelve rows of root crops. In addition, a modularelevator feature can be provided which allows the processing assembly toaccommodate interchangeable modular ferris wheel and modular scrubberchain elevator assemblies.

A main objective is to provide a high capacity harvester with enhancedflow and cleaning action. The harvester according to the inventionprovides several stages for superior cleaning. As shown in FIG. 6 b andFIG. 7, these include a transversally-disposed header roller assembly41, a transfer assembly 28, a controlled drop 68 from the transferassembly 28 onto an elongated assembly 43 of longitudinally-orientedgrabrollers, the grabroller assembly 43 itself, and unobstructed flowinto an elevator 33 which can be an optional scrubber chain elevatorassembly 39.

Field tests have measured the substantially improved cleaning action ofthe invention when compared with traditional beet harvesters undersimilar field and harvesting conditions. Such field tests measure“tare”, a well-known indicator of dirt and other debris that remain onthe beets after their off load from a beet harvester. According to thistesting, the lower the tare percentage, the more free of debris (or“cleaner”) are the beets. Conversely, a higher tare percentage is ameasurement of greater debris remaining and which was not removed fromthe beets when they were processed on the beet harvester. Field tests ofthe illustrated harvester resulted in a 1.8% tare, whereas prior artmachines generally have a 7% tare in comparable field conditions.

An adjustable gap is provided between each of the header rollers 70 andbetween the paired grabrollers. FIG. 12 and FIG. 14 illustrate twocomponents 95 and 96 of an assembly which allows the rollers of theheader roller assembly 41 to be adjusted either simulataneously orindividually. As for the grabrollers, each grabroller pair preferablyincludes a smooth grabroller 66 a and a counter-rotating spiralgrabroller 66 b with a gap therebetween. These gaps can be adjusted allat one point on each end using a centering bolt 76, as generally shownin FIG. 18 for the front end of the grabrollers. As illustrated in FIG.2, a similar centering bolt 76 may be positioned at the rear end of thegrabroller assembly 43 to simultaneously adjust the gaps at the rear endof the grabrollers. The best cleaning is achieved by having the largestpossible gap between adjacent header rollers 70 and between the pairedgrabrollers without allowing the beets to fall therethrough.Conventional idler sprockets usually are used in order to maintainproper chain tension at all adjustment positions.

FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 illustrate the location of the componentswithin the header assembly 31. In operation, lifter wheels 44 of thelifting assembly 26 penetrate the ground, pinching and forcing the beetsupwardly. The beets then are contacted by rotating paddles 45 whichpropel the beets rearwardly. Immediately behind the paddles 45 is afront header roller 72, which can be either a smooth or star roller,followed by the four spiral conveyor rollers 70 that constitute theheart of the header roller assembly 41. These clean the beets, whilemoving them rearwardly, upwardly, and toward the longitudinal center ofthe harvester. Two shorter diverter rollers 74 downstream of the headerrollers 70 are positioned approximately 45-50° above the rear headerroller in order to halt the downstream flow of the beets and funnel themto a central gap or discharge area 75, where they pass onto the transferassembly 28. This passage can include a drop to thereby provide acleaning action.

The transfer assembly 28, which is a 3.5-foot long conveyor in apreferred embodiment, moves the beets upwardly and drops them onto thegrabroller assembly 43. Such dropping of the beets effects beet cleaningaction. All of the beets travel along the entire length of thegrabrollers, which do the primary cleaning, and deliver the beets to thevertical elevator assembly 33. The elevator assembly 33, which can takethe form of a ferris wheel 38 or a scrubber chain 39, for example, liftsthe beets and transfers them for collection, such as by dumping themonto a tank conveyor 46. In this illustrated embodiment, then the beetsare dropped into the holding tank 34 by the tank conveyor 46, which canpivot in order to minimize the drop and more evenly fill the tank 34. Anoffloading conveyor 35 can serve as the bottom of the holding tank 34.Of course, the beets can be held in the tank 34 while others are beingharvested, or the offloading conveyor 35 can instead convey the beets toa waiting truck or other appropriate vehicle.

Referring more particularly to the narrow frame design which is evidentin the drawings, particularly FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, this is a true centerline design. The illustrated holding tank 34 is elevated and its bottomsurface is inclined, which provides excellent visibility for theoperator. In addition, the orientation and placement of the grabrollerassembly 43 generally underneath the processing assembly 32 provide goodvisibility into the harvester. The arrangement of the variouscomponents, especially the rear-loading elevator 33 and the carrierwheels 36, results in superior lateral and fore-and-aft balance both inthe field and on the road, allowing for ease of road transport andoptimum traction for the tractor.

An important aspect of this invention is the use of interchangeableheader assemblies. Beets must be harvested in the same row spacing andusually according to the same number of rows as they were planted or aneven divisor thereof. Different planters utilize different rowconfigurations, so no harvester with a single lifting assembly canharvest all fields. As such, separate six-row, eight-row, and twelve-rowheader assemblies for example are provided with six, eight, and twelvepairs of lifter wheels, respectively. Of course headers foraccommodating other row configurations may be provided without departingfrom the spirit and scope of this invention. When an especially longheader, such as the twelve-row option shown in FIG. 3, is selected gagewheels 78 may be affixed to the front corners of the header assembly 31to assist in transportation.

A modular beet harvester according to the invention preferably providesa simplified connection process by positioning the header and diverterrollers wholly within the header assembly and by utilizing two beams 60that extend from the front of the processing assembly. As illustrated inFIG. 8 a and FIG. 8 b, each beam 60 is bolted to the header assembly 31at two points 62 and 64: one is located generally at the front of theheader assembly and one generally at its rear. The mechanicalconnections between the header 31 and processing assemblies 32 consistof attaching the latter's gearbox to two drive shafts in the headerassembly 31 which drive the components of the header assembly 31. Thus,the same processing assembly 32 can be used for any number of modularheader assemblies 31, without having to resort to difficultinterconnections between the units. Such is a substantial improvementover U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,916 (Haverdink, et al.), showing a harvesterthat located the diverter rollers behind the transfer conveyor. As aresult, connecting the header to the processing assembly included thecomplicated step of journaling one bearing of each of the diverterrollers directly into a bracket located on the processing assembly.

A super heavy duty tongue assembly 37 which generally spans the gapbetween the two beams 60 can be seen in FIG. 5. This is a fullyadjustable swivel tongue. It has two lift cylinder positions foradjustability and lifts from six inches below ground to eighteen inchesabove ground. FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 schematically show the harvester'spower takeoff driveshaft and hydraulic hoses respectively, which connectto the tractor and provide mechanical and hydraulic power to theharvester. The tongue has a steering cylinder which is powered by thetractor/harvester hydraulic subsystem and controls the direction of theheader assembly 31. The steering cylinder can be manually operated orcontrolled automatically by an optional rowfinder in a manner generallyknown in the art.

FIG. 9 shows the optional rowfinder 80, which is hydraulically connectedto the steering cylinder on the hitch. The rowfinder 80 has two feelerarms that straddle the row and follow the line of beets. When the feelerarms sense lateral movement they actuate the hydraulic valve, whichcauses the steering cylinder to extend or retract and maneuver theharvester into proper alignment. An override function allows theoperator to disengage the rowfinder 80 and manually steer the harvester,which is helpful when entering rows.

Super duty struts 82, illustrated in FIG. 9, also are provided. They aregenerally disposed at the front of the header assembly 31 and each strut82 reaches downward to support a pair of lifter wheels 44. The struts 82are laterally affixed to a header member upon which they can be adjustedin order to better align the lifter wheels 44 with the rowconfiguration. The use and operation of lifter wheels 44 as the activepart of a lifting assembly 26 is well-known to those skilled in theagriculture industry. These are rotated with spindle compensation toallow the paddle shaft 51 to be in the exact positions as priorharvesters. The struts 82 can be either fixed or flexible, which ispreferred for rocky harvesting conditions.

The paddle shaft 51, best seen in FIG. 10, mounts the paddles 45. Theindividual paddles 45 are located to rotate and strike the beets as theyare raised by the lifter wheels 44. The paddle shaft 51 is generallylocated above the lifter wheels 44 for improved beet injection andelimination of dirt buildup on the lifter struts 82. Furthermore, thepaddles 45 are staggered so that adjacent paddles 45 contact the beetsat 300 intervals, which prevents excessive shock loads to the paddleshaft 51 and drives. As illustrated in FIG. 13, a slip clutch 84 can beprovided to protect the paddle shaft 51. FIG. 13 also shows that thepaddle shaft 51, through the slip clutch 84, is rotated by a chain 86that is coupled to a sprocket 88 of the header roller belt drive system90. Typically, the slip clutch 84 can be of the ratchet jaw type if usedin conjunction with steel rollers or the friction disk type if therollers are instead coated with polyethylene.

As best shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the header roller assembly 41preferably includes four spiral rollers 70, two diverter rollers 74, anda front smooth or star roller 72, as crop, soil, and harvestingconditions dictate. The spiral rollers 70 (“header rollers”) preferablyare disposed so that the beets generally follow a shallow incline fromthe front to the rear of the header roller assembly 41. In a preferredembodiment, the header roller incline is in the range of 5-15° and mostpreferably within a range of 8-12°. The header rollers 70 generally spanthe width of the header assembly 31, so different header rollers 70typically will be used with header assemblies 31 of different widths. Inthis illustrated embodiment, the two diverter rollers 74 are spiraled,but shorter than the header rollers 70, such that there is a central gap75 between the inner ends of the diverter rollers 74 when their outerends are aligned with the bearings of the header rollers 70, as shown inFIG. 12. While the header rollers 70 are preferably disposed at ashallow incline, the diverter rollers 74 are disposed 45-50° above therear header roller to prevent the rearward flow of the beets and todirect the beets into the central gap 75. The header rollers 70 guidethe majority of the beets into the central gap 75 and the diverterrollers 74 funnel the rest into the gap 75.

The header roller belt drive system 90 is located in the right headerdoor, as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 also shows that one of the diverterrollers 74 of this embodiment is driven by the same belt that drives theheader rollers 70, whereas the front roller 72 is part of the same chaindrive system 86 that powers the paddle shaft 51 through the slip clutch84. FIG. 14 depicts the left header door, which shows the other diverterroller 74 being driven by a gear 92 that is coupled to the rearmostheader roller 70 by a chain 94.

The first three header rollers 70 preferably are spring-cushioned andhave a single point adjustment. FIG. 12 shows the threaded links 95 ofthe header roller adjustment feature which facilitates consistent andsimultaneous adjustment of the spacing between the header rollers 70.Adjusting the threaded links 95 moves a pair of brackets 98 which inturn move the header rollers 70 and diverter rollers 74. In a preferredembodiment the rearmost header roller 70, the diverter rollers 74, andthe intake end of the transfer assembly 28 are interconnected so as toprevent adjustment of the spacing therebetween. FIG. 14 shows threeoptional adjustment rods 96 for adjusting the spacing between theindividual header rollers 70. The adjustment rods 96 are similarlysituated in both header doors when the individual adjustment feature isused. A preferred embodiment sets a nine-inch space between the centershafts of the header rollers 70, but the spacing should be increasedwhen additional cleaning is needed in rougher or muddier conditions.

The beets pass from the header roller assembly 41 and land on thetransfer assembly 28. The transition from the header rollers 70 to thetransfer assembly 28 causes soil to fall away from the beets due to thedifferent flow speed and track surface profiles. The intake end of thetransfer assembly 28 is bolted to a bracket 98 at the rear of the headerassembly 31 in alignment with the central gap 75, as illustrated in FIG.15. The other end of the transfer assembly 28 is allowed to free floatabove the frame of the processing assembly 32 because its dischargelocation changes as the spacing between the header rollers 70 isadjusted. This also facilitates easy removal and cleaning or maintenanceof the transfer assembly 28, because only the intake end must beunbolted from the harvester. Once the transfer assembly 28 isdisconnected, it may be raised by a winch 100, shown in FIG. 16, whichis actuated by a hand crank 101.

The transfer assembly 28 may take the form of a conveyor, as illustratedin FIGS. 2, 5, 8 a, 15. Such a conveyor preferably includes a beltedchain with a one and one half inch total riser. As per FIG. 25 b, thebelted chain is driven by the harvester's self-contained hydraulicsubsystem and physically rotated using two sprockets. In a preferredembodiment, the transfer assembly 28 passes the beets along a 10-28°incline or, more preferably, along an 18-24° incline.

After the transfer assembly 28 moves the beets upwards and downstream,they experience an important cleaning stage when they are dropped ontothe grabroller assembly 43 and more dirt is knocked free. In a typicalembodiment, the controlled drop from the transfer assembly 28 to thegrabroller assembly 43 is within the range of 8-10 inches.

The main cleaning stage in traditional beet harvesters is the grabrollerassembly, which typically utilizes transverse counter-rotating spiraland smooth rollers to clean and transfer the beets. Traditionaltransversely-disposed grabrollers are inefficient because the flow pathalong such transfer conveyors is such that most of the beets do notcross the entire length of the cleaning bed as illustrated in FIG. 6 a.Many beets have a cleaning path which “short circuits” and engages onlya short length of a few of the grabrollers. Prior art beet harvesterswith rear-loading elevator assemblies have the grabrollers oriented 900to the direction of travel. This results in having to use “kickers”and/or other methods in order to move the beets to the elevator assemblywhile still accomplishing beet cleaning. Often this results in damage tothe beets and a machine which is very sensitive to weather and soilconditions.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 17 a and FIG.17 b, four longitudinally-oriented, ten-foot long spiral/smooth rollerpairs, that is eight rollers, provide the grabroller assembly 43.Additionally, the grabrollers may be slightly inclined from the front tothe rear. A steeper incline will result in more aggressive cleaning, buttoo much can damage the beets. In a preferred embodiment, the slopefalls within a range of 0° to 10° and, more preferably, between 3° and7°.

In an important feature, the grabrollers run parallel to the crop rowsor longitudinally with respect to the axis of the harvester. This designavoids the problems of prior art harvesters by ensuring that all of thebeets travel substantially the full length of the grabrollers bed bybeing deposited on one end of the cleaning bed of grabrollers and thenbeing required to travel to the other end of the grabrollers beforereaching the elevator assembly 33.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 b, an additional advantage provided by thelongitudinal grabrollers is that the direction of the beets does notchange from the transfer assembly 28 to the end of the cleaning bed.This provides a continuous flow which is an axial or longitudinal flowpath. Dirt and beets tend to accumulate at the point in prior artharvesters where the flow transitions from longitudinal to lateral,which tends to clog the grabrollers and degrade their performance.Because this accumulation is especially troublesome in muddy conditions,prior art beet harvesters cannot operate under muddy field conditions.The longitudinally-disposed grabrollers of the present harvester allowthe beets to continue their longitudinal downstream flow after leavingthe transfer assembly 28, so there is no transition point for beets anddebris to accumulate. Hence, the longitudinally-disposed grabrollersallow the harvester to operate in muddy conditions that cannot beserviced by prior art harvesters.

Another aspect of the longitudinal flow characteristic of the inventionis a direct and generally unobstructed manner by which the beets moveoff the grabroller assembly 43 and to the elevator assembly 33. This isillustrated, for example, in FIG. 17 a and FIG. 17 b. Beets moving alongthe grabrollers feed directly into the elevator assembly 33, which thenrapidly takes the beets to the elevated machine components as discussedelsewhere herein. In this regard, it will be appreciated that, in theillustrated embodiment, the beets drop off the ends of the grabrollersand into the elevator intake location 97 which is devoid of thegrabroller surfaces to provide ample open space within which the beetsare received to be quickly and efficiently taken away by action of theelevator. Only shaft extensions 99 of the spiral grabrollers 66 bprotrude into the intake area 97, thereby minimizing interference withbeet movement at this location.

Another feature of the grabroller assembly 43 is the single V-belt drivesystem 102 for the smooth grabrollers 66 a, which can be seen in FIG.18. This feature allows the drive system 102 to be narrow and compact inan area of dirt and mud, which is an essential reason why this harvestercan accommodate longitudinal grabrollers. A flap located above thisdrive system 102 prevents dirt and debris from falling into and cloggingthe system 102. As illustrated in FIG. 19, a separate V-belt drivesystem 104 which directly powers the spiral grabrollers 66 b is coupledto a drive shaft 106 from the harvester's gearbox, disposed at a rearend of the processing assembly 32, and contained within a housing 53,providing a clean and safe design. It will be appreciated that the beltof the single V-belt drive system 102 in FIG. 18 is wrapped around thefront ends of the grabrollers so as to transmit power from the spiralgrabrollers 66 b to the smooth grabrollers 66 a. The illustrated beltalso imparts to the smooth grabrollers 66 a a rotation which is oppositethat of the rotation of the spiral grabrollers 66 b.

This grabroller assembly 43 preferably includes a single pointadjustment with a centering bolt 76 at the front end, as illustrated inFIG. 18. Another centering bolt 76 is situated at the rear end of thegrabroller assembly 43, as shown in FIG. 2. This single point adjustmentallows the smooth rollers 66 a to be simultaneously moved laterally,which varies the spacing between the paired grabrollers. Thus, the frontand rear ends of all four smooth grabrollers 66 a can be moved by asingle adjustment. While the spacing between the paired rollers can beconstant, having a wider gap at the rear than at the front reduces therequired driving power and minimizes the risk of beet damage.Preferably, the gap at the rear end is as large as possible withoutallowing beets to fall from the harvester.

The grabrollers preferably are spring-cushioned or spring-loaded toallow rocks to fall through the gaps therebetween before reaching theelevator assembly 33, thus providing improved performance in rockyconditions. This feature also lessens the likelihood of beet damage.

With further reference to the elevator assembly 33, the ferris wheelembodiment 38 illustrated in FIG. 20 provides a lift of the beets afterthey drop off the end of the grabroller assembly 43 which is more gentlethan other elevator arrangements. Preferably, the ferris wheel assemblyis hydraulically driven and has a simplified arrangement with largeferris wheel rollers. It is typically driven at 11 rpm, although someconditions may require a slower speed of 9-10 rpm. A ferris wheel typeof elevator assembly 33 is well known in the industry as a means ofelevating beets for transport into an open-top holding tank 34.

The illustrated ferris wheel elevator assembly 38 is generally formed byseveral closely-spaced rails 108 that define a vertically extendingring. A conveyor lifts the beets from the bottom of the elevator to thetop, while a retainer, which is not pictured, disposed within the ringprovides a spring force that presses the beets against the inner surfaceof the rails 108 as they ascend. When a removal location is reached inan upper section of the ferris wheel elevator 38, the beets disengagefrom the ferris wheel and enter a conveyor 46 or bin for transport orstorage. A stripper 110 at the top of the elevator 38 has discs thatextend between the rails 108 and clear away any material that remainslodged therein after the beets fall into the tank conveyor 46.

FIG. 21 b and FIG. 22 show details of an alternative elevator assembly,which is a scrubber chain elevator assembly 39 with an improvedwraparound design. In general, a traditional scrubber chain elevator hasouter and inner chains 112 and 114 which grip the beets and lift themfor further transport. Operating the chains at different speedseffectively produces an additional cleaning stage by turning the beetsand engaging or “scrubbing” them as they are elevated. In a typicalscrubber chain elevator 40, the outer chain 112 doubles back uponitself, as shown in FIG. 21 a. One problem with this design is that moreclearance is required under the elevator assembly 33, which increasesthe height of the beet harvester or causes a ground clearance issue.

The improved scrubber chain elevator assembly 39 shown in FIG. 22requires less ground clearance because the outer chain 112 traverses thebottom section once instead of twice. The scrubber chain elevatorembodiment 39 incorporates inner and outer belted chains 114 and 112, 42inches wide in a preferred embodiment, which provide simple circularchains with natural tensioning for holding beets as they are lifted.Tighteners 54 are provided for both the inner and outer chains 114 and112 of the scrubber chain elevator assembly 39. The motor of theillustrated scrubber chain elevator assembly 39 is hydraulically drivenby the self-contained hydraulic subsystem with a flow control valve foradjusting the speed of the elevator assembly. A crossover return chain112 is provided in the illustrated embodiment for increased clearanceand additional cleaning. An S-drive 116 is provided on the outer chain112, with a headshaft drive 117 on the inner chain 114.

Each of the elevator assembly units 38 and 39 illustrated are modularand have mount features which allow one type of unit to be removed froma vertical frame structure 118, such as the illustrated tube at the rearportion of the processing assembly 32 and replaced by another type ofunit. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the elevator assembly 33is mounted between the vertical frame structure 118 and a mount or rearbracket structure 119. The bracket structure 119 may be separate fromthe elevator assembly 33, as in FIG. 2, or it may be unitary to theelevator assembly 33, as in FIG. 4. A plurality of horizontal connectors120 are preferably used to fasten the vertical frame structure 118 intogeneral alignment with the rear bracket structure 119. Alternatively, ifthe rear bracket structure 119 is unitary to the elevator assembly 33,then the elevator assembly 33 may be directly fastened to the verticalframe structure 118. In a preferred embodiment, a lower portion of therear bracket structure 119 is fastened to a rear portion of the frame ofthe processing assembly 32 in order to provide further support. Thewraparound design of the scrubber chain 39, when used with the presentbeet harvester, allows the scrubber chain elevator assembly 39 to beeasily mounted onto the same vertical frame structure 118 which is usedto mount the circular ferris wheel elevator assembly 38. Simpleadjustment to the hydraulic system will switch from the ferris wheeldrive mode to the scrubber chain drive mode.

The tank conveyor 46 preferably includes a 42-inch-wide draper chainwith one-inch risers. As illustrated in FIG. 22, its receiving end ispositioned generally beneath the top of the elevator assembly 33, wherethe ferris wheel 38 or scrubber chain 39 ejects the beets. FIG. 23 showsa detailed view of the tank conveyor 46. The parallel arms 121 of thetank conveyor 46 have ball joints that can be used to lengthen the sidesupports of the tank conveyor 46, which varies the height of thedischarge end. Preferably, the tank conveyor 46 also includes a pivotcylinder 122 which is powered by the harvester/tractor hydraulicsubsystem. The pivot cylinder 122 moves the tank conveyor 46 while theball joints on the parallel arms 121 support and allow the conveyor 46to pivot so as to more evenly fill the holding tank 34. Prior artharvesters with stationary tank conveyors tend to create a large pile ofbeets within the holding tank because all of the beets are dumped intothe same area. The pivoting tank conveyor feature creates an evendistribution of beets throughout the holding tank 34.

The holding tank 34 can provide a large capacity, for example four andone half-tons. It can be unloaded in one minute or less. The flow of thebelted chain of this assembly is controlled from the cab of the tractor,such as through the hydraulic system as shown in FIG. 25 a. The tank 34is of the see-through type, providing good visibility. Additionally, ascan be best seen in FIG. 3, the illustrated tank 34 is elevated and itsbottom surface is inclined, both features which further improvevisibility through the harvester.

The offloading conveyor 35 that is illustrated is a belted chain withone-inch risers, preferably 42 inches wide. In this arrangement, aportion of the offloading conveyor 35 serves as the bottom surface ofthe holding tank 34. Driving action can be carried out by a toothedsprocket and a chain drive whose motor is powered by thetractor/harvester hydraulic subsystem, shown schematically in FIG. 25 a.The offloading conveyor 35 extends away from the harvester for unloadingthe beets from the holding tank 34 into an awaiting truck or otherlocation. The illustrated conveyor 35 folds down and out of the way,behind the header assembly 31 for transport. In the extended unloadingposition, the discharge end of the conveyor 35 can be selectivelyadjusted, depending on the height of the awaiting truck. Typicaladjustments can be between a height as low as eight feet and as high asthirteen feet. In addition, the illustrated offloading conveyor 35 canempty the holding tank 34 in less than one minute. For the wider headerassemblies 31, an additional extension segment can be added in order toelongate the offloading conveyor 35 and allow the awaiting truck orwagon to be situated farther away.

A single axle having a pair of large diameter carrier wheels 36 ispreferred as shown, for providing rolling ground engagement. Whereasprevious tires generally had a diameter no greater than about 50 incheswith approximately 500 square inches of ground contact area, the tiresof the wheels 36 preferably have a 72-inch diameter with a groundcontact area in the range of 900-1,000 square inches. Prior artharvesters with four or more carrier wheels generally use tires with aneven smaller diameter and less ground contact area, which increases soilcompaction and drag. In addition to a larger diameter, FIG. 5 shows thatthe illustrated carrier wheels 36 are positioned outboard of the frameof the processing assembly 32, which reduces the chance of developingrocking action and allows for better stability than if the carrierwheels 36 were positioned closer to the frame. The placement of thecarrier wheels 36 illustrated in FIG. 5 improves flotation and reducessoil compaction. Steerable wheels can be used in order to furtherimprove maneuverability, but are not essential to achieving improvedperformance.

This frame assembly and wheel arrangement provides less drag in muddysoil conditions, as the large diameter carrier wheels 36 can rotate,turn and more properly function in muddy conditions under whicharrangements with smaller wheels would tend to skid. In addition, thepreferred tires are reversible so as to allow easy adaptation to lowspacing and transport. Hence, this large diameter tire and frameapproach increases maneuverability in the field, improves performance inmuddy conditions, and reduces compaction of soil.

FIG. 24 shows a preferred mechanical system for the harvester. Theharvester's mechanical power comes from the power takeoff (PTO) of atractor or other transport vehicle, by way of a constant velocity PTOdriveshaft 47 of the harvester. The driveshaft 47 is coupled to aharvester gearbox, preferably located within the processing assembly 32,which in turn is coupled to the left and right sides of the headerassembly 31 and to the rear of the processing assembly 32. A number ofthe illustrated harvester's components are mechanically driven,including: the left and right ends of the paddle shaft 51, the headerroller drive system 90, the dual pump of the self-contained hydraulicsubsystem, and the spiral grabroller belt drive system 104. As describedabove and illustrated in FIG. 18, mechanical power is transmitted to thesmooth grabroller drive system 102 by the spiral grabrollers 66 b.

Turning now to the hydraulic system, this preferably includes twosubsystems: one subsystem that is operated by the tractor's hydraulicsystem (the “tractor/harvester hydraulic subsystem”) shown in FIG. 25 aand the other a self-contained hydraulic subsystem shown in FIG. 25 b.The illustrated tractor/harvester hydraulic subsystem consists of fivehydraulic hose connections between the tractor and the harvester. Itpowers the following, when provided: the tongue lift cylinder, therowfinder 80, an over-ride for the rowfinder, the pivot cylinder 122 ofthe tank conveyor, the motor of the offloading conveyor and thecylinders that raise and lower the discharge end of the offloadingconveyor. The self-contained hydraulic subsystem is operated by a dualpump which is mechanically powered by a drive shaft 106 from the gearboxof the harvester. It powers the motor of the transfer assembly, theelevator motor, and the motor of the tank conveyor. It also preferablyincludes a flow control valve that can be adjusted to vary the speed ofthe rotating conveyor of the elevator assembly. In each of FIGS. 25 aand 25 b, which are hydraulic schematics, solid lines represent pressurelines and hashed lines represent return lines.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present inventionwhich have been described are illustrative of some of the applicationsof the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the truespirit and scope of the invention, including those combinations offeatures that are individually disclosed or claimed herein.

1. A method of harvesting and cleaning root crops comprising the stepsof: lifting root crops from the ground with a mechanized root cropharvester; passing the root crops through transverse rollers as an earlycleaning stage; passing the root crops from said transverse rollers ontoa transfer assembly; dropping the root crops a controlled distance fromthe transfer assembly onto longitudinal rollers to knock dirt and debrisfrom the root crops; passing the root crops along the full length of thelongitudinal rollers; passing the root crops in a longitudinal directionfrom a distal end of said longitudinal rollers to an elevator assemblydisposed at the distal end of said longitudinal rollers; and passing theroot crops into a holding tank by way of the elevator assembly and atank conveyor in root crop-receiving relationship with the elevatorassembly.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the elevator assemblycomprises a scrubber chain elevator assembly having an outside chain andan inside chain and the method further comprises an additional cleaningstage wherein the outside chain and the inside chain of the scrubberchain elevator assembly circulate at different speeds to scrub the rootcrops.